Recent Fatality - Warning on Climbing Gear

[BC WetCoast]

We recently had a fatality in our area. I couldn't find any news reports on it, except for a couple of memorial pages.

The climber had stripped a tree and was blocking down the stem. He was on spurs and only tied in by a single wire core lanyard. He had no secondary tie in.

As he cut one block and went to push it off the stem, the wire cable (which goes around the thimble and then is held to the line with a machine crimp) failed when the end of the cable slid out of the crimp. He then fell and died of his injuries.

Two lessons here, inspect your gear and tie in twice (TITS).

I don't know if this was the exact lanyard he was using but was similar.
http://www.wesspur.com/fliplines/steel-core.html

 

[TC262]

To inspect your steel core lanyard you have to cut the shrink tube off. Part of the reason I seldom climb on a steel core. The wires fray when they are bent to tightly next to the crimp.

 

[Seedling345]

Bummer


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[Sean80]

I use a similar style wire core lanyard. I've always had that in the back of my mind. Think I will switch back to a rope lanyard...

 

[TC262]

This photo was posted by someone else on another arb site.

 

[treebilly]

Cutting the heat shrink off mine tomorrow to inspect it. Got me thinking now.

 

[jefflovstrom]

looks like a crappy piece of crap,,,
Was that home-made?
Jeff

 

[mike515]

I'll take my own straps that I make out of rope with my own knots over anything that someone else crimps together. I feel the same way about ropes with eyes spliced into the ends, etc. They may be fine but if my life may be on the line (literally and figuratively).....I trust myself more than anyone else.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Checking your gear is one thing. The other important aspect was the lack of a second tie in.

 

[imagineero]

I switched to a rope lanyard with a VT a couple years ago. The benefits are many, and you can just use whatever rope you like. I replace the rope every 3-6 months depending mainly on how sappy it gets. I mostly use offcuts of a climbing rope that I bought new which then got cut at ground level by a groundie and ended up too short to use as a climb line, but you only need a few metres so don't be shy buying whatever you like. Being able to ease rope out under load is a huge advantage and I don't think I'd ever go back to a wire core. I used to think wire cores gave extra security till I tried cutting through my old one with a saw. Not much harder to cut through than rope at all. I think wirecores get left in service way too long.

And as mentioned by many people already, two points of attachment! I leave my main line choked below my flipline when blocking down. It's a minor hassle to shuffle it, but if you ever have a bad gaff out up high you'll be very glad that your main line was choked off. Ditto if you should ever cut through your flipline or have it fail in some way.

 

[chevybob]

That's why I use rope lanyards. And of course always TIT.

 

[beastmaster]

I climbed many years using a single tie in as do most the climbers in this area, stupid,stupid,stupid. I've knick a line or two in my life and I've seen two career ending falls from others cutting through wire core lanyards. It wasn't tell I switched to a more modern rope system that I started using two tie ins. I still only use two tie ins for blocking down trees. My prefers method is a GRE GRE and I chock my climbing line with a biner round the tree. That way I feel if I had a injury in the tree I could safely lower my self also.
It only take one mistake to kill you up there, any steps to lower them odds should be done. Remember no one ever goes to work thinking im going to get killed to day. Take no chances and use your brain tie in twice. And those wire core give a false since of the security.

 

[mike515]

It blows me away to hear about guys cutting through straps/lanyards and falling. I mean....really....how the hell do you cut through one if you're paying attention? How do you not know where all of your gear is at all times? I've been climbing forever and I know that sometimes we can get a little complacent but....I've never cut through a rope, strap, etc. If a guy can't even pay attention enough to not cut the device his life is depending on....how can I trust him to pay attention to all of the other things up there to get the job done safely? And I don't say that as if I'm somehow separating myself as better than anyone else. Everyone should have that mentality or you don't have any business being up there.

 

[imagineero]

There are just so many ways this can happen. A common way for it to occur is when blocking down trees in the 4'+ range, and it's just not easy or convenient to pop round the back to check location of your flip line. Seems like you've got the line well below your cut but in the back its hung up on a bit of bark or a twig etc - gone.

There are so many other ways to list and probably some that haven't happened yet but will. Gaffing out with the saw running and chain brake off, you're going to squeeze the throttle - it's human instinct. Cut yourself, or the rope, kickbacks, ropes slipping/moving, handsaw accidents, and just plain old fatigue at the end of a long hard day.

Point is, nobody is perfect and you can't bank on not ever making a single mistake in your entire climbing career, though that is the ideal. I've not ever cut through my own climb line, but I'm sure that day will come. I've nicked it twice, and anyone who says he's never nicked his line is either lying or just doesn't have that many hours in trees. That's why we use two points of attachment. You'll be thankful for it when it happens.

 

[TC262]

looks like a crappy piece of crap,,,
Was that home-made?
Jeff

That is a store bought, not a homemade lanyard. That's what most lanyard crimps look like under the shrink tube.

 

[mike515]

There are just so many ways this can happen. A common way for it to occur is when blocking down trees in the 4'+ range, and it's just not easy or convenient to pop round the back to check location of your flip line. Seems like you've got the line well below your cut but in the back its hung up on a bit of bark or a twig etc - gone.

There are so many other ways to list and probably some that haven't happened yet but will. Gaffing out with the saw running and chain brake off, you're going to squeeze the throttle - it's human instinct. Cut yourself, or the rope, kickbacks, ropes slipping/moving, handsaw accidents, and just plain old fatigue at the end of a long hard day.

Point is, nobody is perfect and you can't bank on not ever making a single mistake in your entire climbing career, though that is the ideal. I've not ever cut through my own climb line, but I'm sure that day will come. I've nicked it twice, and anyone who says he's never nicked his line is either lying or just doesn't have that many hours in trees. That's why we use two points of attachment. You'll be thankful for it when it happens.

Everyone has nicked a few ropes but I think that's different than running your saw wide open through a rope or strap because of not paying attention to where it is. I've nicked the front of the sole of my boot a few times but I didn't forget my foot was there and just cut it off. Cutting through something is not paying enough attention.

 

[imagineero]

I'm having a hard time following your logic there Mike. So you're saying that anyone who cuts through their lanyard shouldn't be up a tree, while nicking your rope or lanyard or your boots is commonplace acceptable practice and there's an enormous gulf between the two? Your life is certainly hanging by a thread there mate....

 

[Bandit Man]

We recently had a fatality in our area. I couldn't find any news reports on it, except for a couple of memorial pages.

The climber had stripped a tree and was blocking down the stem. He was on spurs and only tied in by a single wire core lanyard. He had no secondary tie in.

As he cut one block and went to push it off the stem, the wire cable (which goes around the thimble and then is held to the line with a machine crimp) failed when the end of the cable slid out of the crimp. He then fell and died of his injuries.

Two lessons here, inspect your gear and tie in twice (TITS).

I don't know if this was the exact lanyard he was using but was similar.
http://www.wesspur.com/fliplines/steel-core.html

Sure sorry to hear about the accident.
As Wesspur is a sponsor, the Yale steel core fliplines they sell use a Flemish eye hand splice, and no crimp on the wire core. I have used one for two seasons, inspecting it regular, and have had no issues. Dangerous work for sure. As always, safety first.

 

[mike515]

I'm having a hard time following your logic there Mike. So you're saying that anyone who cuts through their lanyard shouldn't be up a tree, while nicking your rope or lanyard or your boots is commonplace acceptable practice and there's an enormous gulf between the two? Your life is certainly hanging by a thread there mate....

To be honest, I was in a hurry because we were about to roll out this morning so I probably didn't choose my words very well. When I said "nicking a rope", I was talking about (for example) a time you may not realize a strap you are not using at the moment may be caught somewhere as you reach with your saw and catch the strap (with the chain moving a little but not opened up). Not really life threatening at that exact moment but probably not a good deal. If you guys are talking about nicking ropes you're hanging your full weight on.....yeah....that's obviously damn near as bad as cutting through one.

As for my original point, I was visualizing some of these guys who are just too absent-minded to be able to do this job safely. I'm sure we've all seen them before.

 

[BC WetCoast]

It blows me away to hear about guys cutting through straps/lanyards and falling. I mean....really....how the hell do you cut through one if you're paying attention? How do you not know where all of your gear is at all times? I've been climbing forever and I know that sometimes we can get a little complacent but....I've never cut through a rope, strap, etc. If a guy can't even pay attention enough to not cut the device his life is depending on....how can I trust him to pay attention to all of the other things up there to get the job done safely? And I don't say that as if I'm somehow separating myself as better than anyone else. Everyone should have that mentality or you don't have any business being up there.

I don't think you read the thread properly, he didn't cut his lanyard, the end of the wire rope that was crimped slid out of the crimp. That was equipment failure. Not tying in twice was operator error.